Chapter 118: State of the Federation

441      first seized power on December 31, 1999  “Statement by Boris Yeltsin,” President of Russia, Kremlin, December 31, 1999, www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/24080; and Celestine Bohlen, “Yeltsin Resigns, Naming Putin as Acting President to Run in March Election,” New York Times, January 1, 2000, www.nytimes.com/2000/01/01/world/yeltsin-resigns-overview-yeltsin-resigns-naming-putin-acting-president-run-march.html.

441      his nineteenth Presidential Address  Holly Ellyatt, “Putin Warns of Nuclear War if NATO Sends Troops into Ukraine,” CNBC, February 29, 2024, www.cnbc.com/2024/02/29/putins-state-of-the-union-focuses-on-sovereignty-the-west-and-ukraine.html.

441      Roughly a thousand . . .  Ellyatt, “Putin Warns of Nuclear War if NATO Sends Troops into Ukraine,” www.cnbc.com/2024/02/29/putins-state-of-the-union-focuses-on-sovereignty-the-west-and-ukraine.html; and “Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly,” President of Russia, Kremlin, February 29, 2024, www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/73585.

441      the most militarized European state  “In purchasing power parity (PPP), Russian total military expenditure reached $462bn in 2024, exceeding the total for Europe in USD at market exchange rates.” Fenella McGerty and Karl Dewey, “Global Defence Spending Soars to New High,” Military Balance Blog, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), February 12, 2025, www.iiss.org/online-analysis/military-balance/2025/02/global-defence-spending-soars-to-new-high/.

442     Ivan III . . . the second-longest reign in Russian history  Dominic Lieven et al., “Russia: Leaders of Russia from 1276,” Encyclopedia Britannica, last updated April 10, 2025, www.britannica.com/place/Russia/Leaders-of-Russia-from-1276.
 
442     first incorporated . . . into Russian state heraldry  “The Modern Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary,” The State Duma, November 30, 2018, duma.gov.ru/en/news/28991/.

442     aimed . . . imitating Roman emperors  “The Modern Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary,” duma.gov.ru/en/news/28991/.

442     “President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin” On Demand News, “Live: Russian President Vladimir Putin Gives State of Nation Address,” YouTube, February 29, 2024, www.youtube.com/live/aaFNrNReuaA?si=xppywzwRdpyw54r8, 16:01–16:08, via Google Translate.

442     “Thank you” . . . “Please be seated” Sky News, “President Vladimir Putin Delivers His Annual State of the Nation address,“ YouTube, February 29, 2024, www.youtube.com/live/g6G7TWaCX0g?si=0SZIVZlH-cxTtYNT, 0:10–0:13.

442     “We supported our brothers and sisters . . .”  “Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly,” President of Russia, February 29, 2024, www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/73585.

442     “and this year marks the tenth anniversary . . .”  “Presidential Address to the Federal Assembly,” President of Russia, February 29, 2024, www.en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/73585.